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Where not to live: These are the most air polluted places in the country

Air pollution
has been a problem since the industrial revolution hit America in
the 1800s. The
BBC reports
that more than 5.5 million people worldwide die prematurely each
year due to air pollution, so this really is nothing to take
lightly.

According to the World Health Organization
(WHO), more than 80% of
people living in urban areas are exposed to levels that exceed
WHO limits. In the US, the
American Lung Association believes that over 50%
of US counties suffer from an unhealthy amount of particle
pollution. That's a whopping 166 million Americans at risk.

These harmful air particles come
from such things as coal-fired power plants, diesel emission, or
wildfires. The particles are small enough to get stuck in our
lungs and this can cause asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes,
and even death.

Here is the American Lung
Association's 2016 State of
the Air list showing the top 10 U.S. cities subjected to the
worst year-round particle pollution. You may want to consider
living elsewhere if you take your health seriously.

Bakersfield, California

caption

Jack pumps used for drilling crude oil in the heat of the sunrise in Bakersfield, California.

source

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

Bakersfield is home to a crude oil company, which is nothing but
harmful to human health.
Contaminants are released at all stages of production.
Exhaust fumes discharge particulate matter, while the burning of
diesel fuel and natural gas produces the nitrogen oxides that
form ground level ozone.

However, the Los Angeles Times
reported last year that as fuel prices have dropped, drilling
projects in Bakersfield have been delayed or canceled. This may
be bad news for the employees being layed off, but residents
worried about their lung health can rejoice.

Hanford, California

caption

A truck driving into a dairy plant in Hanford, California.

source

Rueters TV

According to the
Hanford Sentinel, it's no surprise to residents that air
quality in this city is worse than ever. To blame are the
combustion engines that burn petroleum-based fuels, which release
particulate matter, as well as the ever-warming temperatures
trapping pollution in this city surrounded by mountains.
Officials there know they are over the EPA's
pollution standards, but don't know how to fix the problem
without new technology while long-term drought conditions persist
in the area.

Fresno, California

caption

A farm with a lawn and swimming pool in Fresno, California.

source

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

The American Lung Association has been reporting Fresno to be a
hotspot of pollution for many years. According to the
Los Angeles Times, a 3,000-person-area on the west side of
the city is drowning in diesel exhaust, unsafe water, and
pesticides. This dirty city is also suffering from poverty, which
has only increased since 2000 according to a study done last year
by The
Century Foundation.

Los Angeles, California

caption

Fire trucks line the streets of Los Angeles in an attempt to put out a hillside fire.

source

Gene Blevins/Reuters

In 2015, the EPA created
stricter ozone standards, reducing the limit from 75 parts per
billion to 70 parts per billion. The Los Angeles Times
reported that the South Coast air basin, including Los
Angeles, violated the 75-ppb standard for 92 days in 2014. This
new standard has forced Los Angeles to make changes to its
transportation and construction equipment, which will hopefully
lessen the threat of lung damage.

The edges of the Los Angeles area are also prone to wildfire,
especially in light of climate change.
Climate Central found that any wildfire burning within 50 to
100 miles of a city can cause air quality to be 5 to 15 times
worse than normal. Fires can make air quality up 2 to 3 times
worse than the worst non-fire day of the year.

El Centro, California

caption

Agricultural fields sharply contrasted against the desert in one of El Centro's worst droughts.

source

Mike Blake/Reuters

CNN
reported that one of the major factors working against El
Centro's air quality is the fact that it borders Mexico, which
has much lower standards for air pollution.

The
Imperial County farm in El Centro is also home to 3 dairies
and a cheese plant. This only increases area emissions even
further, while also reducing available water levels at a time the
state is suffering from huge droughts.

Merced, California

caption

A major traffic jam in California.

source

Lucy Nicholson/Reuters

Situated between San Jose and Fresno (two other highly polluted
cities), Merced has a lot of pollution problems. CNN
showed that transportation on Route 99 and Route 140 is a
huge contributor to emission-related pollution in the city. This
is the route that takes vacationers to Yosemite National Park.
According to the American Lung Association, 80% of the pollutants
in the city can be traced to transportation sources. The big
manufacturers, like Laird and Kirby, add to the pollution problem
as well.

San Jose, California

caption

The Metcalfe power plant in San Jose, California.

source

Norbert von der Groeben/Reuters

The 2016
State of the Air report from the American Lung Association
showed that San Jose had worse numbers for year-round particle
pollution than they had in the report prior to 2014, going
against a trend of improved air quality since 2000. The Mercury
News
reported that this is due to drought and high temperatures,
which transform pollutants into ozone, as well as wildfires in
the area. They also mention the devastating fact that the extreme
climate of the city is working against all of the recent
improvements in air pollution control programs and cleaner engine
standards.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

caption

An old steel blast furnace in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

source

Eric Thayer/Reuters

Pittsburgh is a part of America's Midwestern "Rust Belt".
This is the country's heartland of big unionized manufacturers,
like the auto and steel industries. CNN
reported that the city was once so polluted that streetlights
had to be turned on at noon.

Power plants in the city can now switch back and forth
between burning coal and natural gas, helping to reduce pollution
when gas prices are low. The valleys here help to trap warm air
and particulate matter, worsening an already bad problem.

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

caption

The city incinerator in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

source

Tim Shaffer/Reuters

According to
Penn Live, air pollution in Harrisburg is a big problem for
multiple reasons. First, the 1.2 million people living in the
metro area contribute to the pollution problem because of their
commutes. Second, there are a lot of industry emissions. And
additionally, the unfortunate location of the city worsens the
problem. Winds from Baltimore and Washington, D.C. bring in dirty
air from power plants in those cities. The number of unhealthy
days of ozone in the city was 64 in 2015, according to the
American
Lung Association.

Louisville, Kentucky

caption

Firefighters try to stop a huge fire at General Electric Appliance Park in Louisville, Kentucky.

source

John Sommers II/Reuters

Like many other cities on the list, Louisville's geography
doesn't play in its favor. The surrounding hills help trap dirty
air for long periods of time, especially in warm weather.
General Electric is one of the
major plants in the area, contributing to huge emissions.
However, there is a glimmer of hope here: GE has promised
to comply with waste-reduction and recycling efforts and has
reduced its emissions by 12% since 2005.